- Image by Slaff via Flickr
As a writer, you are probably prone to ritual. Writers often look for regularity in the way they approach the writing “desk.” We so often enter the writing frame of mind with a coffee in hand and a Moleskine journal propped on our leg, poised to capture the imperative thought.
What is important is the recognition of our rituals. It is the ritual that prepares our mind for the writing task ahead. Whether it be tea, coffee, whiskey, or water, the tradition of sipping it can erase our minds of life’s external worries. When we write we need not worry about the stressors of life. We draw within as Rilke so often reminded us to do. We live in our mind—in our solitude.
I think of the humorous image of Michael Douglas in a pink, fuzzy robe as he prepares to finish his novel in the film Wonder Boys. He threw the robe out, but only to find a new type of ritual (typing only on a computer).
What are your writing rituals? Do you only write in a pink robe? Do you only write longhand? On a computer? Typewriter? What settles you in for your writing time?
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I love my rituals, for years I went to a coffee shop near my hometown. Would move through, greet the regulars, talk for a half an hour or so, then head into the backroom with headphones, a pencil and a notebook. Later, I swapped the pencil and notebook for a laptop. I’ve found I’ve always been drawn to places brimming with human energy, coffee shops, parks. These places where people come to coexist, rather than just consume. A lot of people think it is trite to do work in a public place like this, however up until recently I ‘d had no private area in my home to work my ritual into. Brew the tea, set the notebooks up and ready, settle in, listen to music, go over my previous chapters, all leisurely and without interruption. Kids, and life just don’t allow for those kind of movements inside a house normally unless you have a door you can close.
This comment was originally posted on Reddit
I’m one of those "can only write on a computer" kind of people. Almost anywhere will do, though I do find myself writing more on my laptop than my desktop.
This comment was originally posted on Reddit
My favorite ritual is to sit down at my desk and stare blankly at my keyboard for about fourty minutes or so. Then vodka. Oddly enough, I haven’t finished a single chapter.
This comment was originally posted on Reddit